


all the lonely nights in your life

by milfbyers



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: .... this goes against everything i believe in, F/M, but i promised
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27532921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milfbyers/pseuds/milfbyers
Summary: joyce and hopper share a beer (and their feelings)
Relationships: Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	all the lonely nights in your life

**Author's Note:**

> this takes place in-between s2 and s3

the december wind stung her bare wrists and the condensation from the shared last bottle of beer clung to her palms when it was her turn to drink but joyce was only aware of how close hopper was sitting next to her. his hip almost touching hers, his hand dangerously close to hers that sits on her left thigh. 

she could reach her pinky out and pull his hand closer, if she really wanted to (god, did she want to), but instead she took another sip from her beer. joyce forced herself to focus on the shed that sat half full and in need of repairs and a fresh coat of paint. 

she added it to the list of things that needed to get done before the move, before someone came to inspect her house from top to bottom. before someone came to give her a price that she knew wouldn’t satisfy that anxious gnaw in her stomach.

“joyce, you here with me?” his voice was rough, he sounded tired and her heart ached for him. she knew her own voice held the same exhaustion, the same whisper of guilt and hurt. that the look in his eyes mirrored her own when they both thought the other wasn’t looking. but the other was always looking, always observing. 

they ached to breathe the other in before it was too late. and they both knew that someday there would be a “too late”. joyce took a deep breath before answering, “yeah, hop. i’m here” she turned to face him with a gentle smile playing on her lips. his hand finally found hers and he squeezed it gently before letting it drop back into her lap. “i thought i lost you for a second” he teased, his shoulder bumping against hers as he reached for the bottle of beer in between her feet. 

joyce wrapped her arms around herself and began to chew at her bottom lip. hopper really was about to lose her and he didn’t even know. the guilt of the move sat in a pit in her stomach. the confession was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn’t get herself to open her mouth. 

she couldn’t get herself to finish the process pushing away the only person she truly wanted near. the one she wanted around when the voice in her head was yelling too loud or when the nightmares left her throat raw from holding back screams. 

he was still there. when she lashed out in fear of his absence or when her silence was too loud to ignore, hopper was still there. his hand on hers and his voice low and soothing and able to pull her away from whatever horrible thought she’s latched on to. 

the move wouldn’t push him away, not really, but he would hold her further than the arm’s length distance he is holding her at currently. joyce doesn’t know if she can handle any more distance. not when all she wants is to be closer.

her teeth kept pulling at the skin of her bottom lip when she reached to take hopper’s hand. the action took both of them by surprise and she noticed his eyebrow arch at her touch but she kept going until her hand was wrapped around his. “are you sure you’re okay?” the question was gentle. 

there was no trick hiding underneath, no anger ready to strike at her vulnerability. when she answered, if joyce gave the truth or not, there would be no joking about how she felt. there would be only safety. there was only care and genuine worry in his voice and in his curiosity. because hopper cared about her in the safest way possible. 

she stopped chewing at her lip. the tension eased out of her shoulders and joyce began to relax. her voice shook slightly when she answered but she meant it more than she did earlier when she felt his thumb moving across the skin on the inside of her wrist, “yes, i’m okay.” 

joyce didn’t pull her hand away for the rest of the night and neither did hopper.

**Author's Note:**

> as promised, here is my first (and hopefully only) jopper fic. i'm bitter about it. also, don't forget, i still hate season three jopper. 
> 
> milfbyers on twitter


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